Knowing When, Why, and How Much

Storytelling is like garlic. Delicious to many. An allergy to others. And to the vast middle—easy to overdo.

Experienced presenters and facilitators typically have a bevy of stories in their quiver, ready for the shooting. Storytelling is an important competency that can bring vision, leadership principles, and business lessons to life like no other medium. It can also become a default style that quickly competes for (and distracts from) your credibility.

Like any skill or strength, it can become a weakness if overused. To those of us with superb stories, we know to judiciously season them throughout. Better yet, consider pulling back considerably and allow participants’ stories to flow more freely. A mature facilitator can have their tried-and-true story teed up, ready to bring down the house, only to pull back when one from the group is “good enough” to make the same point. Delivering your well-rehearsed tearjerker after one from the audience will likely eclipse anything they could muster and portray you as a grandstander.

Think about it. Who’s the star: you or them?

Separately, keep polishing your stories, because they’re as important as garlic is to spaghetti. FranklinCovey’s friend and communication expert Nancy Duarte recommends that you include these three components to craft amazing stories:

Reminding people of the status quo.

Revealing a path to a better way.

Setting up a conflict that needs to be resolved.

Some additional points to consider:

Be certain your story has a clear beginning, middle, and end.

Tell the truth. Be cautious about taking too much “artistic license.”

Your stories must land a point, ideally the exact point you’re discussing before or after the story.

Rehearse your stories so they land gracefully and with impact, but be mindful of becoming too rehearsed.

About the Author

Scott J. Miller is Executive Vice President of Business Development and Chief Marketing Officer for FranklinCovey. Scott has been with the company for 20 years, and previously served as Vice President of Business Development and Marketing. His role as EVP and Chief Marketing Officer caps 12 years on the front line, working with thousands of client facilitators across many markets and countries.